Here's some good news for those readers upset that the television adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Sandman stalled out. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tom Hanks' Playtone Productions will produce a whopping six seasons of Neil Gaiman's earthbound-deities novel American Gods.

Cinematographer Robert Richardson (Inglourious Basterds) is pitching HBO an adaptation of Neil…
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The series-in-development, revolving around the question "are you a god if no one believes in you?" is executive produced by [Gary] Goetzman and Hanks, with Bob Richardson, and Gaiman on board as executive producer and writer.

Each of the six seasons will be of 10-12, hour-long episodes with a budget of around $35-40 million per season, targeted to debut on the cable powerhouse in 2013 at the earliest [...] American Gods will be effects-heavy to do justice to the awe-inspiring power of the divine beings. "There are some crazy things in there. We'll probably be doing more effects in there than it's been done on a television series," said Goetzman.

Before we get too jazzed up, it's worth adding the caveat that Playtone has other obligations before this open-ended series, namely a $100 million live-action treatment of the Mattel action figure Major Matt Mason. Hanks co-wrote this 3D family space adventure and is set to star and produce. Furthermore, Robert Zemeckis is in talks to direct Mason — are we looking at Mars Needs Bosom Buddies? Anyway, here's hoping American Gods won't crumble under the weight of its own ambition.